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Technical Support FAQs -- Frequently Asked Questions

1. The serial number that you sent me for CreativEase does not work. Most commonly, check to make sure the entered Name field in our installer matches what we sent to you (not what your PC automatically enters). Also, make sure there is not a blank space before or after the serial number (which can inadvertently sneak in if you copy/paste the info). Keep in mind our serial numbers are cASE-sensitive. If there is still a problem after trying again, please contact us and we will solve it for you right away.

2. Why is an X appearing over the CreativEase effect? An X means you have the DEMO version installed. The demo overlays an X on the plugin’s output. Upon purchasing, the X will automatically disappear. If you have installed the purchased version and you are still seeing an X, it could be the project file cache in your video editing program. One easy way to manually clear that cache is to "Save As..." your project. Or you can render final output which should not show the X. If the problem still persists, next try applying CreativEase in a fresh project. If the X appears there, it is probably a minor Windows Registry issue which can be solved by running a freeware registry cleaner from a reputable source, such as here (download.com). After you use the cleaner, re-install your purchased CreativEase (not the demo version).

3. How do I install CreativEase in two different versions of Premiere (or After Effects)? First install in your latest version of Premiere, which the CreativEase installer will likely recognize and find automatically. Then run the installer again, but use the Browse button that will appear (in the next panel after you enter your serial number info) to select the MAIN folder of your earlier Premiere (or After Effects) version, such as c://Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premiere Pro CS6.

4. My drive crashed and I need to re-install. OR... I now use a 64-bit version of Adobe Premiere Pro (or Sony Vegas), which requires 64-bit plugins. My earlier CreativEase purchase from you was 32-bit. What can I do?Easy! Use our handy re-download form to get a FREE re-download anytime. There you can get the 64-bit version -- no extra charge! :)

5. [Sony Vegas version] My CreativEase effects are not animating in Sony Vegas Pro or Vegas Movie Studio.
This can happen on a small percentage of Sony Vegas systems due to the way the Vegas plugin architecture works in some versions. To solve it, look in the Vegas keyframer controls for the CreativEase event -- not the CreativEase built-in keyframer. (If the Vegas keyframer is not already visible, click the Animate button at the bottom of the Video Event FX window to make it appear.) Do you see a keyframe at the end of the event? If not, please do the following:
-- Make sure you have the Sync Cursor option in the Vegas keyframer turned OFF.
-- Manually add a second keyframe at the end of the event in the Vegas keyframer.
-- Select the first keyframe in the Vegas keyframer (click it or click the First Keyframe button there).

How to Apply CreativEase...

...in Adobe Premiere Pro (Windows; any CS version or CC Creative Cloud version):1. From the Effects panel (Video Effects > Pixelan folder) of Premiere Pro, drag-and-drop a CreativEase effect onto a clip.2. CreativEase will then appear in the Effect Controls panel of Premiere Pro. There, click the Setup button to the right of the CreativEase name. The CreativEase plugin's window will then appear. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

...in Adobe Premiere Elements (Windows; version 11 or later):1. If you are using Premiere Elements 12, make sure you first turn on its Expert view to see all available effects and transitions, including plug-ins.

2. From the Effects tab at the bottom of Premiere Elements, choose Pixelan in the tab's top menu. Then drag-and-drop a CreativEase effect (such as BlurPro) onto a clip.3. In the Applied Effects panel of Premiere Elements, click the Setup (gear icon) button to the right of the CreativEase effect's name. The plugin's window will then appear. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

...in Adobe Premiere Elements (Windows; version 10 or earlier):1. From the Edit panel (Effects section) of Premiere Elements, scroll down to the Pixelan listing and drag-and-drop a CreativEase effect onto a clip.2. CreativEase will then appear at the top of the Edit panel. Click the small Edit Effects button located in the lower left of the Edit panel. To the far right of the CreativEase name, click the Setup button there. The CreativEase plugin's window will then appear. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

...in Adobe After Effects (Windows; any CS version or CC Creative Cloud version):

CreativEase is applied like any video effects plugins in Adobe After Effects. From the Pixelan folder of the Effects and Presets panel of After Effects, drag-and-drop a CreativEase effect onto a timeline layer.

1. Drag and drop a CreativEase effect, such as Pixelan CE BlurPro, from the Video FX (or Plug-Ins) window/pane onto any event in your Vegas timeline. Or, click the Event FX button on an event’s icon in the Vegas timeline, then choose a CreativEase effect in the Plug-In Chooser window. Note that only a few Vegas presets are provided per CreativEase plugin. That is because CreativEase's built-in presets are far more powerful and are all accessed from WITHIN the CreativEase main window.

2. If the CreativEase plugin’s main window is not already visible, click the CLICK HERE button in the Event FX window for the CreativEase effect. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

2. Click the Effect button above the PowerDirector timeline (if the effect is applied on a clip) or click the Modify button (if the effect is in the Fx track).

3. Click the Stand-alone Effect button to open the CreativEase plugin's main window. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

...in Magix Movie Edit Pro (v18 or later) or Video Edit Pro X (X4 or later):
1. With a clip in the Magix timeline selected, in the Effects tab, choose Extra effects > Plug-ins, then click any CreativEase effect (such as BlurPro). The CreativEase window will then appear. Then see the Basics within CreativEase section below.

Basics within CreativEase

Adjust the CreativEase plugin's controls as desired, or choose a saved setting or preset to instantly apply a cool pre-made effect from hundreds that are available (see next section below). To preview the effect, click the blue Play button under the built-in preview in the CreativEase window. All adjustments will instantly appear in the preview. You can even adjust while playing the preview!

Sony Vegas Tip: To preview the effect in Vegas, click in your Vegas timeline within the event. Your Vegas preview will instantly update. Or double-click the event to define a playback region so you can loop play real-time while making effect adjustments — highly recommended and very cool!
Note that CreativEase has 100+ levels of undo/redo available, so feel free to experiment. Click the buttons shown at right to access it, or tap Ctrl-Z / Ctrl-Y.

To apply the CreativEase effect when you are done making adjustments, click the green "check mark" button in the lower right corner of CreativEase. That's all!

Some CreativEase plugins have extra controls to mask where the CreativEase effect will appear. Soft/organic 'spice' files adapted from our popular SpiceMaster plugin are used for that purpose. In the CreativEase window, first choose the effect's mask geometry by clicking the Choose Spice File button.

A separate Library window will then open. Click on any Spices subfolder in the Library's left pane, then double-click any spice playing in the right pane to load it into the main CreativEase window.

CreativEase features powerful bezier curve keyframing so you can smoothly accelerate or decelerate any effect parameter. Each control with a round button to the left of the control's name is keyframable. To activate the keyframing for a control, click the round button -- it will show green. Then look in the Keyframes graph that will appear in a separate window from the CreativEase main window. Simply drag the handle of a existing keyframe to curve the keyframe line. Or click on the keyframe line to add a new keyframe. Upward or downward re-positioning changes the control's value; left or right moves the keyframe earlier or later on a percentage basis within the effect's total 100% duration.

For more details and a keyframing tutorial, see the Learning More About CreativEase section below to access CreativEase's built-in context-sensitive help system. Just click the ? button on the Keyframes graph, for example, and you will go right to the keyframing help.

CreativEase Saved Settings & Presets

Each CreativEase plugin has lots of ready-made saved settings you can apply instantly. You can also customize any of them to create your own, or create new saved settings from scratch. To load a saved setting, click the blue Load Saved Settings button at the bottom black bar of the CreativEase window, as shown at right, then choose any file within the Saved Settings folder that will appear. We have organized the saved settings into subfolders for your convenience, organized by style. Single-click any saved setting to quickly preview and compare it with others. Double-click your final choice.

But that is not all! Dozens of section presets are also included for each major section of controls. Mix and match them with any chosen spice effect to form thousands of additional custom effects and variations quickly! To access section presets, click the "light-bulb" button at the upper right corner of any effect section in CreativEase, as shown at right.

Learning More About CreativEase

For additional CreativEase techniques and tips, please see its context-sensitive visual help. To access it, click the ? button in the top right corner of CreativEase (or tap the F1 key), then click any area of the CreativEase interface.